Welcome to Sasserfrass Hill Bee Farms (SHBF). My name is Deborah Sasser and I am a beekeeper. I am very excited to have discovered this charming hobby. Also, the ability to help Nature's tiny unsung heroes: the honeybees.

They are an important and vital part of our ecosystem.

The need for honeybees is tremendous !
Honeybees are responsible for pollinating one third of all the food we eat: including fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. The value of the crops pollinated by honeybees in the United States alone is estimated at over $10 billion a year.

Honeybees are the only insects that provide an important food for man. To make just one teaspoon of honey a bee must travel an average of 778 miles and visit more than 40,000 flowers. It is amazing when you stop and think of the work involved in a bee’s sweet honey.

One of our goals at SHBF is to raise awareness of the plight facing the honeybee. The honeybee population is disappearing at an alarming rate. According to scientists, the honeybee population has declined by 50 percent over the last 50 years. This is due to habitat loss, introduction of exotic parasites, poor nutrition and the use and abuse of pesticides.

* It will be Catastrophic if we lose our Pollinators!

Scientific studies prove one group of agricultural toxins - Neonicotinoid pesticides as major contributor to bees rapid demise. Bee populations have recovered in four European countries that have banned these products. It's up to U.S. citizens to convince the government not to heed the powerful chemical lobby, but to defend the bees and our country's food supply by calling for a national ban now.!
Silently, billions of bees are dying off and our entire food chain is in danger. Our best chance to save bees now is to push the United States to join the ban, their action is critical. We have no time to waste! This is not just about saving bees, this is about our survival.

Let's build a giant global buzz calling for the outlaw of these killer chemicals and save our bees and our food! Sign the emergency petition now, and send it on to everyone you know and we'll deliver it to key decision makers. To sign up go to https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_the_bees/?

The bees are also starving. We can all help by planting wildflowers, blooming trees, shrubs and flowers that produce nectar and pollen for them to feed on.

Another facet of the honeybee is in its ability to assist in human allergies. If you have allergies, eating honey that is local to your area may prevent or decrease your seasonal allergies. People believe it is because the honey helps you build a tolerance by slowly (and tastefully) introducing ones system to local pollens.

The science is really quite simple: bees use the pollen from local plants and eventually it ends up in the honey.

Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. The ingredients in both honey and pollen also make wonderful beauty aids. It is found to nourish skin and hair.

Honey also acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. Its properties help disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes and burns.